Let's start this thing again

Well I have really slacked, not only on this blog, but working out in general.  Tomorrow I will start lifting again with the same goals in mind, but also more of an emphasis on not looking like shit.  I will be switching programs every 9 to 16 weeks depending on what I am doing at that time.  I love Wendler's ideas for 5/3/1, but I am not nearly strong enough to do that system justice.  I will be doing the Madcow system, while also using Chad Waterbury's PLP challenge.  I will do assistance work where I find it necessary, most likely doing the stated Friday assistance work twice a week.  Also, on "off" days I will be still doing the PLP and some type of conditioning, because lets face it, I don't deserve anymore off days.  I have had plenty of "off" days over the past 32.5 years.

Bench Press Cycle 1 Week 1

This is a fucking embarassment.  I have one of the weakest bench presses in the world and it is really depressing.  Just gotta stick with it and get stronger I guess.

Goals:

95 X 5
110 X 5
120 X 5

Actual Lifts

95 X 5
115 X 5
125 X 6 <---- This is just terrible.  I mean come on, I should be able to do this at least 25 times, my form must just absolutely suck.  A little over 6 weeks ago I was benching 165 X 3, now this.  Wow, luckily for me 5/3/1 allows for small jumps.

Assistance Work:

I was hungry and not in the mood to do shit this morning so assistance was low.

DB Bench Press

45 X 15
45 X 13

DB Row

65 X 15
65 X 15

Deadlift - Cycle 1 Week 1

Today was deadlift day.

Calculated Max: 265
Training Max: 238.5

Goals for today:

155 X 5
180 X 5
200 X 5+

Actual Lifts

165 X 5 <---- I guess I can't add when it comes to putting plates on...wait I am weak, I only use small plates
180 X 5
200 X 12

Assistance Work:

Good Mornings:
95 X 10
95 X 10
95 X 10

I am going to pay for doing these dearly tomorrow.  I haven't done good mornings in quite a while so I went light with them so I wouldn't blow my back out right out of the gates.  My back and hammies are going to hate me tomorrow.

Barbell Curls: 

45 X 10
85 X 5
85 X 5
65 X 10

I know, these don't help my deadlift at all, but I was in the mood to do some curls today, and I didn't have much time this morning.

Tomorrow will be bench day.  You wanna talk about embarassing, the numbers I post for bench are probably lower than what most untrained women can do.  I am going to lift 4 days in a row this week so I can get the whole program in, and then next week I can spread it out to my normal lifting days which will most likely be M/T/Th/F with conditioning on the other days.

OHP Cycle 1 Week 1

Body Weight: 173.2

OHP Calculated Max: 107
OHP Training Max: 96

Day 1 of the program started today.

Today's Goals

60 X 5
70 X 5
80 X 5

Actual Lifts

60 X 5
70 X 5
80 X 14

So I got 14 reps on my 5+ set.  Obviously I started with too little weight it looks like.  I am fine with that.  It's all about progress.

Assistance Work:

Dual Pulley Pulldowns (I know, I am pussy for doing these, pullups/chins for now on)
50 X 10
60 X 10
60 X 10
60 X 10
42.5 X 15

Dips (bodyweight)
10
10
10
10

Tomorrow will either by squat or deadlift day.  Since my shitty gym only has one squat rack, it all depends on if some jackass is curling in it or not whether I will be able to squat.

I am a weak bastard

So I am 31, I've been lifting off and on for 6 or 7 years and I can honestly say I have made about 0% progress.  I mean it is disgusting how weak I am.  I have tried and failed about 400 different "programs" and when I do find one that I think would be awesome, I try to get all cute and tweak it, and end up fucking it up beyond belief.

That is why I am starting this blog.  I need to get strong.  The strong live, the weak die and right now I would be one of the first motherfuckers to die.  I have spent many hours reading Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 book and his website, and have come to realize that this is the one program that can work for me.  Wendler's no bullshit approach to training is one that I can appreciate.  He doesn't fuck around or offer the always positive advice that our society has come to expect.  He tells it like it is, and if he thinks what you are doing is stupid and a waste of time, he lets you know.

What really inspired me to go for this though, was reading Gabe's Blog and seeing the amazing progress he made.  While my starting strength is so much lower that his, I hope to have the same success he did on this program.

My long term goals are simple.  I am 31 right now, in 42 months I turn 35 and instead of feeling old, I want to be the strongest most athletic I have ever been.  Here are the numbers I would like to see by then if not earlier.

OHP: 200
Bench: 300
Squat: 400
Deadlift: 500

Not the most impressive numbers in the world, but I believe that if I can get to those goals and hit those numbers, I will be stronger than 95% of the general population.

I am purposely starting with relatively low training weights in order to ensure constant progression.  As the book states, it's always better to start to low than too high and fuck the whole thing up before you even get in a good rythem.